The She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 1 The Parish of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church of Canada 3 St. Vital Road Winnipeg, MB R2M 1Z2 204-253-0555 (Office and Fax) 204-256-6893 (Hall) Email: stmary@mts.net Website: www.stmarymagdalenewpg.org
Our Mission: To love God and be the light of Christ in the world. (March 2017) From the Editors Winter seems to have arrived, which pleases some and frightens others, but Manitobans usually try to make the best of things. The days are shorter and so we have fewer hours of natural light. Most faith groups traditionally hold festivals to bring their followers joy and reminders of the true source of light in their lives. Since Christ is our light and our salvation we Christians can of course celebrate His birth at any time of year but it is good to do so at the darkest days of the year, and have a merry time with family and friends and strangers too. The new Christian year begins with the season of Advent, and we traditionally light candles in an Advent wreath adding one each Sunday until we light the Christ candle at Christmas. Light is also a feature of the season of Epiphany which follows, and our theme of study centres on stories of Christ s ministry to the Gentiles. Candles are one of the symbols of Christmas which we enjoy. My earliest memories of Christmas include other symbols mostly to do with our Christmas tree and the ornaments hung there. Of course there was a star at the top to represent the star which led the wise men to Bethlehem, but my favourites were the glass bells in green, red and blue which would ring so sweetly when the branches were shaken. Sturdier bells are still rung from church towers to this day, to call the people to worship and celebration. I was interested to know that a peal of bells was rung in London to mark the recent wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. When the changes are rung and depending on the number of bells involved this can take many hours. A delight for mathematicians to figure out, no doubt. Bell ringing is still a very active pursuit in the British Isles with more than 7,000 bell towers there. I understand there are 48 in the USA and eight in Canada and New Zealand. I once had the privilege of hearing the eight bells at the Anglican Cathedral in Quebec being rung in celebration. Bell ringers had come from far and wide to do this and ringing the changes that day took three hours. Continued on next page In this issue: From the Editors 2 Synod Delegates Report 3 Rector s Report 4 O Antiphons 5 Advent Schedule of Services 5 From the Wardens 6 Little Saints Daycare 7 Vegetarian Recipes 8 Holiday Crossword 9 Parish Calendar 10 Opinions expressed in articles or notes in this publication are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene, the Diocese of Rupert s Land, or the Anglican Church of Canada. The selection of material for publication is made by the editors, Heather Birtles and Therasa Hunt, c/o St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, 3 St. Vital Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2M 1Z2 2
Continued from previous page In all cultures and individual families there are traditions which we continue to value and observe during these seasons. Many of them have to do with the foods we eat, and also include acts of kindness and sharing with others. With guidance from Jeannie McClory and Barbara Bater we will have opportunity to send hampers to some families who need them and toys and gifts to the St Matthews Maryland community. Our Christmas special offering is another opportunity to cast the net wide in our sharing and we are sure you will also find many other ways to share Christ s Love in your neighbourhood and sphere of influence. Because Christmas Eve this year falls on a Sunday, we will celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Advent in the morning at 10:30 with the children s pageant. There will be one Christmas Eve service this year at 9:00 pm. Please bring your friends and family for a joyful celebration. With best wishes to you and yours. Heather and Therasa Synod Delegates Report to Vestry The lay delegates to Synod attended Faith Horizons October 20-21. This is a biennial educational event that lay and clergy delegates are expected to attend. The intention of this event is to strengthen, inform, engage and equip parish leaders in their discipleship and ministry. It is open to anyone interested in coming together to worship, learn and grow in faith. which we are a part, and the mystery of God, life itself, and things eternal. He reminded us of the meaning of Sacrament, which we recognize as the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. He expanded our understanding of such mysteries beyond the formal sacraments of the church to consider Christ as Sacrament and by extension for the potential for us to be in this role as we live into Discipleship, Mission and Stewardship of God s Grace. Following the Faith Horizons event, the 114th Session of Synod was convened. Bishop Donald Phillips, having indicated his intention to retire, has left us needing to decide on a path of episcopal transition. Diocesan Council passed a resolution at their September 30, 2017 meeting recommending the following motion be approved at this special meeting of Synod: Resolved that the Synod of the Diocese of Rupert s Land request permission of the Metropolitan of the Province of Rupert s Land to elect a Co-Adjutor Bishop in 2018 prior to the retirement of the current Bishop. After extensive debate, the motion passed. We appreciate your trust in allowing us to represent the parish as Synod delegates and thank you for this opportunity to serve. Marlene Smith, Shiraz Kahn and Heather Birtles The theme was Stewards of God s Grace, the challenge of being the church in the 21st Century. The keynote speaker was the Rev. Canon David Harrison, the incumbent of St. Mary Magdalene parish in Toronto. He led us in consideration of our world, which is both wonderful and yet broken and of 3
Rector s Report or a bit of an introduction! My family moved a fair bit when I was young (looking back, I guess I had adventurous parents!), but once we settled down I grew up in Winnipeg, (Westwood way out on the west side) the youngest of two kids. My older brother and his family live on the west coast. I went to the University of Winnipeg where I completed a Bachelor of Science. After a year of work, I moved out to Saskatoon, where I finished my theology degree at Lutheran Theological Seminary. I also met my husband, Paul Sartison, at seminary and we have been married for just about 30 years. (Doesn t seem possible!) Once we graduated from seminary, we moved to Toronto for a bit of an adventure; I worked in a United Church drop-in and housing organization for people close to the streets. Paul worked for Canadian Lutheran World relief (the Lutheran equivalent of PWRDF) and Volunteers in Mission (a joint Anglican- Lutheran program in the 90 s). a core neighbourhood ministry of the Anglican and Lutheran churches, with an Indigenous Anglican colleague, Ethel Ahenakew. The last six years we were in Saskatoon I was pastor in a combined Anglican-Lutheran congregation in Rosetown, about an hour west of Saskatoon. Currently, our son Ben is working and living in Toronto with his partner Stacie, and our son Joseph is studying Outdoor Education at a small campus of the University of Alberta in Camrose, Alberta. Paul is serving at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Fort Richmond. When I am not at work, I like doing yoga, camping, checking out music or art, hiking, and am trying to nurture a bit of my own creativity. Paul is an avid cross-country skier, cyclist, and bass player. We are trying to figure out where we should go on our next big trip. I am really enjoying being with you all here at St. Mary Magdalene - I look forward to getting to know you! Val Our oldest son, Ben, was born in Toronto, but soon after he was born we moved back west to be closer to family. Our youngest son, Joseph, was born while we lived in Rhein, a village close to Yorkton. A couple of years later I was ordained, and we moved to Estevan, a town in the south east of Saskatchewan, where Paul and I both served Trinity Lutheran Church for six years. From there we moved to Saskatoon, where I worked part-time as a chaplain for the Saskatoon Health Region for almost 15 years, as well as in a couple Anglican-Lutheran ministries. For a couple of years, I worked in 4
O Antiphons During Advent at St. Mary Magdalene, the O Antiphons are brought to life in the beautiful banners made by Liane Marsh and Barbara Bater. Perhaps you ve wondered what they represent Many of us are familiar with the hymm O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which is sung most often in Advent. Each verse parallels what are called the O Antiphons of Advent. In the Middle Ages, these Antiphons were developed and traditionally sung at Evening Prayer (Vespers) in the seven days before Christmas. They are also echoed in the Advent Litany in the BAS (page 119). Praying them throughout Advent will add a mood of eager expectation that builds and climaxes at Christmas. O Wisdom: You came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and reaching from beginning to end You ordered all things mightily and sweetly; Come, and teach us the way of prudence. O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel: You appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him Your Law; Come, and with an outstretched arm redeem us. O Root of Jesse: You stand for the ensign of mankind; before You kings shall keep silence and to You all nations shall have recourse; Come, save us, and do not delay. O King of the Nations and the Desired of all, You are the Cornerstone that binds two into one: Come, and save man whom You fashioned out of clay. O Emmanuel our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Saviour: Come, and save us, O Lord our God. Reprinted from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, Vol. 25, No. 5, Advent 2017, found at www.anglicanprayer.org Advent Services December 3 Advent 1 3:00 pm Celebration of New Ministry (No 10:30 am service) December 10 Advent 2 10:30 am December 17 Advent 3 10:30 am December 24 Advent 4 10:30 am Children's Christmas pageant 9:00 pm Candlelight Service O Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel: You open and no man closes; you close and no man opens; Come, and deliver him from the chains of prison who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. O Morning Star Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. 5
From the Wardens We are delighted to welcome our new Rector Valerie From to the Parish. Val began her ministry with us in September and has been working hard to get to know us all and to meet all the groups that use our building. We hope she will enjoy her leadership role with us for many years to come. The Little Saints Daycare is up and running and we continue to work on building a supportive relationship with them. Sincere thanks to Cathy Mondor for convening the September Garage Sale, and to all who helped in any way to make it a success. As we approach the financial year-end, Wardens and finance committee members are reviewing our situation, and using the commitments made at Consecration Sunday to assist in preparing a budget for 2018. We are facing a shortfall of $11,000 - $12,000 and invite parishioners to consider a year end gift to the parish where it is possible. Thank you to our Rector, the altar guild, the worship committee, the lay readers and servers, the organist and choir and all participants for their involvement in making our recent worship services so special. This year on Sunday, December 24 we will celebrate the 4 th Sunday in Advent at our regular 10:30 am service. At that time there will be a children s pageant. There will be one Christmas Eve service that evening at 9 00 pm. Thanks also to Jeannie McClory and Barbara Bater and their respective crews for directing our Christmas gifts of food, toys and warm clothing to the right places. We are very grateful to them. Peace and Joy to you all, Tannis, Brian, Shiraz and Heather The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 25 following the morning Eucharist. Please consider your own willingness to stand for elected office. The Rector and her husband Paul, along with several members of the congregation, attended the Bishop s Dinner on October 19 at Fort Gibraltar. This annual event supports the Bishop s discretionary fund. The speaker this year was Mayor Brian Bowman. Faith Horizons was attended by the clergy and Synod delegates on October 20 and 21. At this time there was also a special session of Synod. (see report on page 3). We have agreed to print, one at a time, the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 6
Little Saints Daycare Our young neighbours next door at the Little Saints Learning Centre are by now settled in and having lots of fun. The daycare facility, with room for 16 infants and 32 preschoolers, has been open since the summer. On September 30 Val, our rector, blessed the building, its staff and its young charges and offered a prayer, a framed copy of which hangs on the wall there for all to see: May the love of God be here That the kids who come here will find laughter and friends, fun and rest, curiosity and kindness. May the Spirit of God be here That the workers will find good relationships, satisfaction in a job well done, and joy each day. May the peace of God be here That parents will find comfort and ease, knowing their children are cared for well, honoured, and loved as though they are truly Little Saints. In a recent article in The Lance, Candace Savage, executive director of Little Saints, and our Brian Crow talked about how pleased they were with the collaboration between St. Mary Magdalene and the daycare. "Because we worked together, we ve been able to do more for the community than if we d done it individually, so I think it s a case of one and one equaling three, Brian said. The daycare is a great community resource. We had other offers for the property in the past including for a fourplex. I know that housing is needed, but this a great option, so I m glad it s worked out like this." Candace, who noted the original Little Saints Learning Centre is still in operation next to St. Mark s Anglican Church, said we ve been able to meet the needs of infant care, and there is a big need in the community when designing the building, it was very important to us that it felt like a house in a residential neighbourhood, albeit just a little bit bigger than a regular house." The building, erected on the site of the old rectory, was clearly designed to fit in with the residential community. It is warm and welcoming, and ideally located close to major roadways, transit service, the community club fields, and St. Mary Magdalene. Part of the collaboration between the church and the daycare is an arrangement that allows Little Saints to use our building in case of emergency, such is if their building has to be evacuated. Wish list The daycare can always use the following: extra paper, fabric scraps, extra yarn, tubes from paper towels, or anything that could be used as craft supplies plastic bags (to send home dirty clothes as required) the occasional treats, as long as they are peanut free The daycare has a security system in place so unfortunately people can t just drop in. If you have donations please check with Val or Brian about providing them. 7
If you ll be serving family or guests this Christmas who are vegetarian, or just for a change of taste, consider these recipes. Creamy Root Veg & Chickpea Crumble 2 large beetroot (about 150g each) 2 parsnips, cut into batons Good knob of butter 2 shallots, finely sliced 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated 2 tsp ground ginger 100ml double cream 200ml vegetable stock 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed Handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped 75g plain flour 40g unsalted butter, chilled & cubed 30g hazelnuts, roughly chopped 1. Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F. Wrap the beetroot in foil and roast for 30-40 minutes until tender. Cool a little, then peel (wearing gloves) and cut into chunks. 2. Meanwhile, parboil the parsnips in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then drain. Make the crumble topping by rubbing the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Stir in the hazelnuts and season well. Set the topping aside. 3. Melt the butter in a frying pan, then gently cook the shallots for 2 minutes until tender and translucent. Add the parsnips and cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, then add the fresh ginger, ground ginger, cream and stock and cook for a further 5 minutes until thickened slightly. 4. Add the chickpeas to the pan, season well and remove from the heat. Stir through the cooked pieces of beetroot and the parsley. Spoon into 2 x 250ml oval ovenproof gratin dishes and top with the crumble. 5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and piping hot. Serve with Christmas sides. www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes 8 Whole Roasted Cauliflower 4 cloves of garlic 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ a small bunch of fresh thyme olive oil sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 lemon, zest and juice of 1 large cauliflower with outer leaves left on 4 tablespoons dry sherry 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes 40 g flaked almonds ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley extra virgin olive oil 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Peel the garlic, then add to a pestle and mortar with the paprika and half the thyme leaves. Bash well to a rough paste, then muddle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season. Zest lemon into a separate bowl and set aside. 2. Trim the outer cauliflower leaves. Trim away and discard the stalk so the cauliflower can sit flat, then cut a cross into the base. Rub all over with the paprika paste, then place in a medium casserole pan. Drizzle over the sherry and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Cover and pop in the hot oven for around 80 minutes, or until tender, removing the lid for the final 20 minutes. 3. Take the pan out of the oven, then pour in the plum tomatoes, tearing or slicing them up into chunks. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and pick over the remaining thyme leaves. Return the pan to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden. 4. Meanwhile, place a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the almonds and toast gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden, then leave to cool. Once ready, take the pan out of the oven. Scrunch over the toasted almonds, then pick, roughly chop and scatter the parsley leaves on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then carve up and serve with pilaf rice and steamed greens, or as part of a big spread. www.jamieoliver.com/christmas/collection/
ACROSS 2 Singing 3 Santa's helpers 4 Where Santa lives 6 Celebration 7 Hung by the chimney 9 Shown bright in sky 11 Christ born in one 12 He was stingy 14 Kiss under it 15 Wrote "A Christmas Carol" 18 Festive drink 21 Gifts 23 Religious songs 24 Christmas berry 26 Has a shiny red nose 27 Jesus born here 29 Mary rode this DOWN 1 Said "God bless us everyone" 2 December 25th 3 Pine tree 5 Was born in a manger 8 Decorations 9 Santa's sled 10 Elves are busy there 13 Santa slides down it 16 They pull Santa's sled 17 Magi 19 Hangs on door 20 Clinging plant 22 Tends sheep 25 Animal ridden in desert 28 Night before 9
St. Mary Magdalene Church - Calendar of Activities December 2017 February 2018 December January February 3 1 st Sunday of Advent Celebration of New Ministry Eucharist 3:00 pm 1 New Years Day 4 5 th Sunday after Epiphany 10 2 nd Sunday of Advent 7 Baptism of the Lord 11 Last Sunday after Epiphany 12 Vista Park Lodge 2:30 pm 9 Vista Park Lodge 2:30 pm 13 Vista Park Lodge 2:30 pm 17 3 rd Sunday of Advent 19 Vestry Meeting 6:30 pm 20 Catherine Place 2:00 pm 14 2 nd Sunday after Epiphany 18 River Park Gardens10:30 am 21 3 rd Sunday after Epiphany 15 River Park Gardens10:30 am 18 1 st Sunday in Lent Asian Christian Fellowship 7pm 25 2 nd Sunday in Lent Asian Christian Fellowship 7pm 21 River Park Gardens10:30 am 23 Vestry Meeting 7 pm 27 Vestry Meeting 7 pm 24 4 th Sunday of Advent Family Service & Pageant 10:30am Candlelight Service 9:00 pm 25 Christmas Day Asian Christian Fellowship 4 pm 24 Catherine Place 2:00 pm 28 Catherine Place 2:00 pm 28 4 th Sunday after Epiphany Asian Christian Fellowship 7pm 31 1 st Sunday after Christmas Weekly Activities Contact Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 pm Heather Birtles Office Phone: 204-253-0555 e-mail: stmary@mts.net Wednesday Choir Practice 7:15 pm Nancy Aasland Thursday Christian Meditation 7:30 pm Barbara Bater www.stmarymagdalenewpg.org 10